Nesting-house for birds.



C. E. WHITE.

NESTING HOUSE FOR BIRDS.

APPLICATION FILED 0cT.22, 1914.

1, 166,100, Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

CHARLES E. WHITE, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

NESTII\TG-HOUSE FOR BIRDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915..

Application filed October 22, 1914. Serial No. 868,988.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. lVi-Iirn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Wilmette, county of Cook, and State .of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nesting-Houses for Birds, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to nesting houses for wild birds, such as are adapted to be mounted upon a post or suspended from an overhead support.

Its objects are to provide a house which will have a convenient seat for a. nest, may be readily opened for cleaning, and will have an entrance opening which may be varied in size to make it attractive for birds of different species. The variable entrance opening may, however, be applied to nesting houses of other construction than that herein shown, and this feature of the device may, therefore, constitute a separate article of manufacture.

The invention consists in a house in box form adapted to be so mounted or suspended that one of its major transverse axes shall be vertical, thus providing a pitched roof and a tapering bottom. One of its side walls may be openable, and at the end there is provided an entrance opening with a plurality of plates, one of which may constitute an alighting porch and the remainder be apertured and adapted to cover the entrance opening, the apertures in the several plates difiering in size to provide for a varying of the opening to accommodate birds of various species.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a view of the house in perspective; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of a group of plates constituting the porch and opening varying means. 7

The house, generally designated by the numeral 10, takes the form of an oblong rectangular box having the ends 1.1, 12, and the sides 13, 14, 15 and 16. It is adapted to be supported in such position that one of its transverse major diameters is vertical. There is shown as a means for securing it to an overhead support a pair of hooks 40, 40. When thus supported two of the sides 13, 14,

of the box constitute the roof and have the necessary pitch to shed water. These sides are preferably extended beyond the ends and overhang the lower walls 15, 16, for the purpose of giving an eave effect, though this feature contributes rather to the ornamental than to the useful character of the device.

One of the lower side walls, as 16, is preferably openable, and to this end it is shown as being hinged at its lower edge, at 20, to the lower edge of the other bottom wall 15, a spring catch 21 being provided to secure its upper edge when closed. By opening this bottom wall the house may be readily cleaned. A floor 24 may be introduced and, as shown, takes the form of a triangular strip 23, fitting within the lower angle of the box and preferably secured to the fixed wall 15. This floor may serve the further purpose of a stop for limiting the inward movement of the openable wall 16.

One of the ends of the box, as 12-, is provided with an entrance opening 95 of sufficient size to admit birds of the largest species which it is desired to accommodate with a nesting place, such, for example, as the flicker or woodpecker. A porch 32 is located immediately below the opening 25, and as here shown is formed of sheet metal and projects horizontally. lhe entrance opening is preferably guarded by a metal plate 31, having an aperture 3% of suiiicient size to admit the largest birds, while the plate prevents the enlargement of the hole by squirrels or other animals which might be disposed to cut away the wood. Preferably the plates 31 and 3:2 are integral, and may be secured to the wall 12 by means of nails or screws, and for this purpose the plate 31 is shown as being provided with a plurality of holes 33, 33.

A series of intermediate plates 35, 36, as many being employed as may be desired two being shownare adapted to be used in connection with the device for the purpose of varying the effective size of the entrance opening. To this end these intermediate plates are apertured, as shown at 38, 39, the apertures differing in diameter, the one next to the plate 31 having an aperture somewhat smaller than the aperture 34: therein and the apertures of the outer plates decreasing in size.

The intermediate plates, as 35, 36, are preferably hinged, as shown at 26, at the juncture of the plates 31, 32, in order that they may be dropped down upon the plate 32 or folded up, one or more ofthem, against the plate 31. vi hon in vertical position they may be retained by any suitable catch, as the pivot clip 37 attached to the Wall 12.

Should it be desired to encourage the smaller species of birds, such as the house Wren, to o cupy the house, all of the intermediate plates are folded up and secured against the plate 31. If the smaller birds do not select the house. for a nesting place, orit is desired to encourage a larger species, such as the blue-bird or the Wood-pecker, one or more of the plates is lowered to rest upon the plate 82, providing an aperture of suitable size to accommodate the bird desired for a tenant. Then the intermediate plates are lowered they serve, of course, as

the floor of the porch.

While I have shown the apertured plates as being hinged to the porch plate and as folding upwardly, the invention is of suflicient scope to include plates otherwise attached: and disposed.

Preferably the apertures of the several plates are eccentrically placed, so that when folded for use as entrance apertures their lower margins are in line.

TheV-shapedbottom of the house simulates the crotch of a tree, and thereby provides a more convenient and attractive seat for anest than will a perfectly flat floor.

The porch and entrance opening plates may be grouped together, as shown in Fig. 3, the group being generally designated by the numeral 30, and made as a separate article of manufacture to be applied to bird houses generally Without regard to the particular form of the body portion thereof.

I claim asmy invention 1. Anestinghousefor birds having an entrance opening, a porch below the entrance opening, and a plurality of plates having apertures relatively different in size, such plates being hinged at the inner edge of the porch to swing upwardly before the entrance opening.

2. A nesting house for birds comprising a rectangular box having one of the major axes of the box vertical, and provided with an entrance opening at one end.

3. A nesting house for birds comprising a rectangular box having one of the major axes of the box vertical and provided with an entrance opening, and a floor located belOW its horizontal axis.

4. A nestinghouse for birdscomprising arectangular box having one of the major axes of the box vertical and provided with an entrance opening, one of the lower side Walls of the box being openable.

5. A nesting house for birds comprising a rectangular box having one of the major axes of the box vertical and provided with an. entrance opening, one of the lower side Walls of the box beingopenable, and a floor Within the box beloW its horizontal axis. 6. A nesting house for birds comprising a rectangular box having one of the major axes of the box vertical and provided with an entrance opening, one of the lower side walls of the box being openable, and a floor attached to the fixed lower side.

7. A porch plate for nesting houses for birds provided with a plurality of apertured plates hinged to the porch plate adjacent the inner edge thereof, the apertures of the several plates diifering in size, that of the upper plate beingthe largest.

CHARLES E. WHITE.

Vitnesses:

LOUIS. K. GILLsoN, E. M. KLa rcHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.? 

